Cloud storage

What it means

Cloud storage is document space on a provider’s servers, reachable from a browser and a phone. For a company it is the simplest way to keep records in one place instead of five mailboxes and one laptop.

Against on-premise storage it solves sharing, versions and access from the road. What it does not solve on its own is backup or order - those are two separate decisions.

Cloud storage is not the same as accounting software in the cloud. Storage holds files - scans, PDFs, contracts - without understanding what is in them. Accounting software holds structured data and builds the statements from it. A company usually needs both, and choosing one does not settle the other; what matters is that every ledger entry can lead back to its document.

How it works in practice

For document digitisation a plain structure works best: year, month, document type (issued, received, bank, payroll, contracts). The accountant gets access only to the folders needed, which is also part of access control.

The law permits keeping accounting records electronically provided legibility, integrity and availability are assured for the whole retention period. Paper then need not be stored, but the conditions must be demonstrable.

When a client comes on board we set up a shared folder where documents go in steadily through the month rather than all at once after it ends. When an employee leaves or work with a contractor ends, access is removed the same day. The list of who can reach which folder is therefore part of offboarding.

What to watch out for

Sync is not a backup: a deleted or overwritten file disappears from the cloud just as fast. You need versioning or a second copy. And with a provider outside the EU, the data transfer has to be settled under GDPR.

Storage opened on an employee’s or director’s personal e-mail is a frequent problem. When that person leaves, the company loses access to documents it must keep for years under the document retention rules. The account should belong to the company, have at least two administrators and be paid from a company card, so it does not vanish with a private subscription.